Refuse body with retaining fingers



A ril 28, 1970 e. D. PAPPAS 3,508,673

REFUSE BODY WITH RETAINING FINGERS Filed March 5. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l GEORGE DE M0 PAPPAS 34 INVENTOR. BY a ATTORNEY iill Ii G. D. PAPPAS 3,508,673

2 Sheets-sneer. 2

a a a M u R I m w J |I-ll| llll v 0 m I V m 1 a n. H D 2 IIL m E c W W J 3 W. a w u 34 6 7 I 1 3A 1 2 ..||||l|/ w m a F F 5 2 A ril 28, 1970 REFUSE BODY WITH RETAINING FINGERS Filed March 5. 1968 FIG. 7. BY W ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 21483.18 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A refuse hauling body having a loading hopper on its forward end, a transverse packer blade traveling the length of the hopper, and having an automatic gate to prevent the load from falling back into the hopper when the packer blade is retracted.

This invention relates to refuse hauling bodies of the type having a loading hopper at the front end and a packer blade to move the material loaded into the hopper into the main or carrying compartment. It is advantageous in this type of body to build the loading hopper at a lower level than the carrying compartment in order to facilitate the hauling of refuse, and this invention relates to bodies in which the top of the packer blade is substantially lower than the roof of the main compartment, thus requiring a bulkhead to close the front of the compartment above the packer blade. Since the refuse is pressed into the carrying compartment from the bottom, there is a tendency for the material to flow back into the hopper when the blade is retracted since the material does not become fully compressed and firm until the carrying compartment is almost full.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic gate which is retracted into the space behind the front bulkhead above the opening through which the refuse is packed, and which falls into the opening when the packer blade moves forward to prevent the refuse from falling back into the hopper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gate consisting of separate bars which retract as a unit but are individually mounted to allow for one or more bars to remain in a raised position if some hard object is encountered in the pile of refuse without preventing the remainder of the gate from falling into its closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gate to prevent the backfiow of the refuse into the hopper, which gate is completely automatic in its response to the movement of the packer blade.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational cutaway view of a typical truck body embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial front elevational view of the front of the main compartment and showing a hydraulically operated gate according to the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing a mechanically operated gate.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 44 on FIGURE 2 in which the packer 'blade is ready to retract forward from the gate.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 in which the gate is raised and the packer blade is at its extreme rearward position.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 in which the bars of the gate are individually hydraulically operated.

FIGURE 7 is a partial side elevational view of the hopper including mechanical means operating the gate.

FIGURE. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the system of cables shown in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged detail of a trigger mechanism used in connection with the cable system shown in FIGURES 7 and 8.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the refuse truck 10 has a main carrying compartment 11 and a loading hopper 12. The floor 13 of the hopper 12 adjoins a ramp 14 which leads up to the floor 15 of the compartment 11. A packer blade 16 moves forward and backward within the hopper 12 and is actuated by a hydraulic cylinder 17 which is enclosed in a housing 18 to protect it from the refuse material 19 loaded into the truck. A bulkhead 20 closes the front end of the compartment 11 above the height of the packer blade 16 and a gate 21, shown in its down position, is mounted behind the bulkhead 20 to retain the material 19 that has been moved into compartment 11 by the packer blade 16. In FIGURE 1 the blade 16 is moving forward and if it were not for the gate 21 the material 19 might fall into the hopper 12 as indicated by the dotted line 19a.

As shown in FIGURES 2, 4 and 5, the gate 21 is comprised of vertical bars 22 which are slidable mounted in a crosshead 23, the ends of which are connected to pushrods 24 operated by hydraulic cylinders 25. The cylinders 25 are connected into the hydraulic system of the truck (not shown) so that as the blade 16 is set to start its rearward stroke the gate 21 is raised to the position shown in FIGURE 5 by means of the hydraulic cylinders 25.

T-heads 26 on the bars 22 limit the downward motion of the bars 22 through the crosshead 23. The bars 22 are center drilled to receive rods 27 attached to the upper cross member 28 which also carries the bulkhead 20. A lower cross member 29 is slotted to act as a retainer for the bars 22 and also carries the lower edge of the bulkhead 20. A shield 30 protects the gate 21 from contamination and pressure of the refuse material.

Compression springs 31 around the rods 27 urge the bars 22 downwardly following the release of the crosshead 23, but allow the bars 22 to stop partway if they should encounter some hard object 32 that has not passed all the way behind the gate as shown in FIGURE 2.

In a more economical model the rods 27 and springs 31 may be omitted as shown in FIGURE 3 where the bars 22 depend on gravity to drop through the cross frame 29. The lower ends 33 of the bars 22 are beveled to help penetrate and hold the refuse material which may collect below them.

FIGURES 3, 7, 8 and 9 relate to a second embodiment of the invention in which the gate 21 is controlled mechanically by the motion of the packer blade 16. A central longitudinal overhead brace 34 runs above the loading hopper 12 from the bulkhead 20 to a column 35 at the front of the hopper. An endless cable 36 runs around a forward pulley 37 and a rear pulley 38 mounted at the ends of the brace 34. An upward extension 39 on the packer blade 16 reaches past the lower run of the cable 36 and is provided with a notch 40 through which the cable 36 can operate. A block 41 is clamped to the cable 36 and has a vertical forward face 42 and a beveled rear face 43. The front face of the head of the blade extension 39 has a corresponding beveled front face 44 and a vertical rear face 45.

A pair of cables 46 are attached to the top run of the cable 36 by a clamp 47 and are led over pulleys 48 and 49, attached to the bulkhead 20, to the ends of the crosshead 23. When the blade 16 is in its forward position the vertical forward face 42 of the block 41 bears against the vertical rear face 45 of the blade extension 39 so that when the blade 16 moves rearward it pulls the cable 36, thereby pulling the cables 46 and raising the gate 21 by means of the crosshead 23'. A hook 50 on the brace 34 intercepts the block 41 at the point where the gate 21 has been raised to its extreme height and lifts the block out of contact with the back of extension 39 as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 9. A notch 51 in the brace 34 having a vertical front face 52 receives the block 41 and the vertical face 42 of the block 41 locks against the vertical face 52 of the notch 51 to hold the gate 21 in its raised position while the blade 16 continues to the rear of the hopper 12. At its extreme rearward position the olade extension 39 bears against a trigger 53 mounted on the brace 34 and connected by a tie rod 54 to a lever 55 which forces the block 41 out of the notch 51 and allows the gate 21 to drop to its original position. When the blade 16 returns to its forward position the beveled rear surface 43 of the block 41 slips over the beveled front surface 44 of the extension 39 and it falls into posi- :ion behind the extension for the beginning of the next :ycle as shown in FIGURE 7.

In a third embodiment of the invention shown in FIG- URE 6, the gate bars 22a operate in individual hydraulic :ylinders 56 connected to a hydraulic line 57 mounted 11 the bulkhead 20. The lower cross frame 29a is drilled ;0 act as a guide for the round bars 22a. By means of a valving system (not shown) the bars 22a are raised when :he blade 16 starts its rearward travel, the pressure in the :ylinders 56 being released when the blade reaches its :xtreme rearward position. Compression springs 58 bearng against the pistons 59 that lift the bars 22a force the Jars downward to hold the refuse material in place until he start of the next cycle.

Although it is advantageous to have the hopper floor [3 as low as the truck frame will permit, it should be noted that the invention is applicable to trucks and trailers in which the floor 13 of the hopper 12 is on a level with the floor 15 of the main carrying compartment 11.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary constructions herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refuse truck having a main carrying compartment and a forward horizontal loading hopper separated by a vertical bulkhead having an opening in its lower area, the combination of: a packer blade traveling the length of said loading hopper and substantially equal in height to said opening, a vertically movable gate comprised of a vertically actuated crosshead, individually slidable vertical bars yieldably suspended within said crosshead and guides slidably retaining said bars below said crosshead, said bars at least partially filling said opening in its lowered position, means raising said gate with the rearward motion of said blade and lowering said gate when said blade starts its forward motion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,091,519 8/1937 Noyer 214-83.3 3,303,949 2/1967 Nickel et a1 21483.3

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,174,245 11/1958 France.

ALBERT J. MAKAY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2l4--83.3 

